1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for fabricating high-speed memory matrices, and more particularly to apparatus for threading a wire through magnetic cores of memory matrices. The invention can find application during manufacturing high-speed memory elements of electronic computers and other microprocessing equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known an apparatus for threading a wire through magnetic cores of a memory matrix (cf., SU, A, 598,114) comprising a rotor-like shaft connected to a motor for imparting rotation thereto. The rotor-like shaft has secured thereto two step electric motors having shafts thereof connected to respective rollers to push a wire threaded therebetween, this wire being reeled off a spool secured inside the rotor-like shaft.
Transport of the wire is effected by the two rotating push rollers, which act to impart reciprocating movement to the wire. In addition, rotation is imparted to the wire about its axis by a rotation motor, which rotates the rotor-like shaft with the spool secured therein.
However, while executing the forced reciprocating movement, the wire is reeled off the freely rotating spool in jerks. It is for this reason that the wire is reeled off in a pulse-wise manner, whereby an excessive amount of the wire is reeled off the spool as compared with that necessitated by the rotating push rollers. As a result, the wire tends to form, in the space before the rollers and in the interior of the rotor-like shaft, loops and knots of wire slack to frequently cause jamming of the wire, which in turn requires that the apparatus be stopped. Further, this apparatus fails to ensure reversal of the wire and repeated feeding thereof in case the wire is jammed in the row of magnetic cores, or in case of faulty threading.
A technical solution which bears the closest resemblance to the one to be disclosed in the present description is exemplified in an apparatus for threading a wire through magnetic cores (cf., SU, A, 1,141,448) comprising a shaft accommodated inside a housing mounted on a base, a cartridge connected to the shaft and accommodating a spool of wire, and a guide for moving the wire arranged in line with the shaft between the cartridge and a table on which the magnetic cores are placed. In addition, the apparatus is provided with a pressure regulator to deliver compressed air to the housing and impart rotational movement to the shaft accommodating the cartridge with the spool and to the wire.
The wire is moved by compressed air fed to the guide for the compressed air to flow therethrough and convey the wire by forcing it away from the guide.
The wire is rotably reeled off the spool freely inside the cartridge. At the same time, the wire is also rotated, since the spool and cartridge are rotated by the shaft in turn rotatable by the action of compressed air fed from the pressure regulator.
One disadvantage of this prior art apparatus is that as the wire is subjected to the continuous action of a force providing for reeling the wire off the spool (the spool being mounted inside the cartridge for free rotation) the absence of a means for holding the spool against inadvertent rotation may result in the appearance of loops and knots of wire slack, which consequently causes jamming of the wire, necessitates termination of the threading operation and readjustment of the apparatus.
In addition, the continuous feeding of the wire and reeling the wire off the spool without means for holding the latter complicates the operation of the apparatus and causes loops and knots through the length of the line when the wire is jammed between the magnetic cores being woven. Therefore, the lack of reel off control means makes the apparatus less reliable in operation and necessitates inadvertent stoppages. This known apparatus also fails to control the speed of transport of the wire or transport reversal, when the wire is jammed in the row of magnetic cores or when faulty threading appears.